The Collection
by x.Chrissy.x
Summary: The war was lost with Harry's death. A year later, Hermione has been caught and is being auctioned off as the newest slave to a pureblood household. Draco wins the auction with plans to add her to his "collection." But why is he collecting former members of the DA under his roof? All may not be what they seem to be.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Hermione sat with her back against the cold stone wall, curled up with her knees to her chest. The tears had stopped hours ago but her breath still came out hitched as she stared at her bound hands. She closed her eyes and imagined a familiar green eyed face, scared that if she didn't remember him frequently, she would forget – forget his laugh, forget his smile, even forget his damned lightning shaped scar. It had been a year. A year since his death meant the end of the war. A year since Lord Voldemort took over Wizarding England. A year since she had become a fugitive running for her life. But she wasn't running anymore; she was caught.

She never thought she would be caught the way she was, attempting to steal a loaf of bread from a cart in Hogsmeade. She had known it was stupid, but she was desperate. She was starving and her glamour charms had never failed her. She knew she would never be recognized. And she wasn't. But she was caught stealing and after a few hours her charm wore off so here she was, in a cell, awaiting the auction.

The auction – the punishment to muggleborns and blood traitors alike. Lord Voldemort stripped them of all their titles and property, took their homes and took their livelihood. But, then came the problem of homelessness, begging, poverty. So, the auction was the solution, sell the problem to the loyal purebloods as slave labor and his government receives money as a "transaction fee" from wealthy purebloods to stock the treasury. Out of sight, out of mind.

"Mudblood, to your feet." A rough voice said as the door to the cell swung open. "It's your turn." She whimpered as he grabbed her by her arm and hoisted her on to her feet. "Move along now." He said as he pushed her roughly through the entrance.

Hermione squinted as she walked into the hallway, the lights far brighter than they were in her cell. She looked down to see her bare feet and ripped pants moving along a floor that went from stone to hardwood within a few feet. She turned a corner and was confronted by the shouts of hundreds of people as she was pushed again towards the stage. She staggered up the steps, practically blinded by the lights on the stage. She was stopped by a hand and she stood, her head bowed, looking over the heads of people sneering at her.

"Ah, and here we are, our last and most valuable item." The auctioneer said as she stood there, a strong hand firmly around her arm. "Hermione Granger, member of the so-called 'golden trio' that attempted to stop our most gracious and powerful Lord." The crowd broke out in mocking laughter, pointing at the girl ahead of them. "Since this is the most infamous mudblood of them all, the bidding shall start at 100,000 galleons."

Hermione watched as wands shot up in the air, the bidding quickly rising to 500,000 then 750,000 galleons. She shuddered at the thought of what she we would be put through as a slave to some of these households.

Finally as the bid hit a million galleons, a shout rang through the room, "2 million galleons." The room fell quiet as the bidder started to make his way through the crowd. The crowd parted for him as he strolled through the room. Hermione could barely control the urge to wretch when she saw who was coming towards the stage.

"Mis…Mister Malfoy…did I hear you correctly? Did you just bid 2 million galleons?" The auctioneer stuttered at the sight of Draco Malfoy. Hermione had remember reading that out of all the purebloods, the Malfoys had made out on top. Between Narcissa declaring Harry dead and Draco letting the Death Eaters into the castle, they were the favorites in the new regime. No one would dare bid against him.

Draco sneered as he looked at the auctioneer. "Are you deaf, sir? Yes, 2 million galleons, paid upfront…for the mudblood." He said as he nodded in her direction. "You know….for my collection."

Hermione shuddered as she heard him speak. Yes, his collection. She had heard that Draco Malfoy had been collecting his old Hogwarts classmates as slaves. The rumors were that it was either for retribution at the DA for making a fool out of him or because of his general hatred for Harry, or perhaps both. She had even heard that it was because he enjoyed showing his former classmates how high he had risen. Hermione had no doubt she would be the newest item in his collection.

"Yes, of course, Mister Malfoy." The auctioneer said, hitting his gavel against his podium, giving no one else time to continue bidding. "Winner for 2 million galleons, Mr. Draco Malfoy!"

She had time to watch his face turn into his infamous smirk before she was shoved forward, an indication that she should start walking if she didn't want to end up face down in the dirt. She scowled as she was shoved again towards the stairs and down towards her new "owner."

"Granger," he sneered as she approached him. "So nice to see you again."

She looked away from him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. "Ah, I see you're quieter than you used to be. Apparently even know-it-alls can learn something new after all. Let's go." He ordered as a man stepped up and grabbed her by the arm.

The feeling of side-along apparition startled her and she found herself on her knees when they landed. "Tsk tsk tsk, I thought it would be harder than that to get you on your knees. At least you're learning your place in the world." Draco shook his head mockingly. "Put her with the others." He barked at his servant. He looked at her one more time and this time Hermione looked up to meet his eyes. "Enjoy your stay." He said sarcastically, yet she could tell the sarcasm didn't quite reach his eyes. He turned before she could finish her thought and she was grabbed roughly and put on her feet.

"In here" the man grunted while shoving her forward. She looked around and noticed she was in a dungeon with stone floors and walls, bars going from ceiling to floor. A door opened before her and she was shoved so hard through the door that she stumbled and fell. She was caught by another person as she heard the door slam behind her.

"Hermione?" A dreamy voice said as Hermione looked up into bright blue eyes.

"Luna?" Hermione exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet. "Is it really you?"

"Is that Hermione I hear?" A voice from what sounded like the cell next door shouted. "Is it really you?"

Hermione spun around and sprinted towards the bars. "Neville?" She returned.

"Yes! And Seamus as well!" He called back, excitement evident in his voice. "I'm so glad you're alive!"

Hermione hadn't seen Neville in over 2 months and Luna in 6. She hadn't seen Seamus since the Battle at Hogwarts. She took a deep breath relived that some of her friends were still alive.

"Oi! Cho is here too as well as Ginny! They're working right now, but they'll be right glad to see you here!" Seamus called out.

Hermione turned around as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "We've been waiting for you, Hermione. The nargles told me that you would show up soon. We have much to tell you." Luna smiled at her the way only Luna could and she felt a calm wash over her. One she hadn't felt since Harry was alive. One she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again. There was a reason she was here. There was a reason all her friends were here. She'd just have to figure out what that reason was.

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**A/N: Yes, a new story. This is the reason I started writing again. A story that popped into my head. Tell me what you think of the first chapter, please! Reviews make me feel encouraged. :) ~Chrissy**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Today was assignment day. Every time they had a new servant enter the household, they were doled out new assignments to accommodate the new person. She put on her issued uniform: black pants, white shirt, fairly comfortable shoes. She had been surprised to find out they were given clothing that were clean and neat. She had been told that as part of the Malfoy household, they were expected to look "decent" at all times. She was also surprised that everyone had been issued wands although they were special wands that could only perform magic limited to household chores and healing spells.

Her first week was not as terrible as she would have imagined. Everyone was well fed and she was given a week to recover before starting her duties. Luna had informed her that despite having the status of servants, everyone had been treated fairly well. That was the last thing she had expected. Hermione was also informed that they were lucky, that other servants in different households were little more than slaves and were punished regularly either physically or mentally. Neville even went so far to say he was almost glad to have been taken, that having 3 meals a day and relative security was better than being on the run. Hermione just couldn't imagine that.

She was made aware of some of the rules. Anytime you answered a pureblood, you finished it with "sir" or "ma'am." If you run into the lord or lady of the house (which you should try your best not to), you curtseyed. Servants were meant to seen but not heard. And they were to keep being seen to a minimum.

"How are you feeling, Hermione?" Luna asked as she sat on her bed, pulling her shoes on. "Are you ready for your assignment?"

Hermione smiled as she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. "I'm feeling much better today, thank you Luna. From what you all tell me; I don't have a lot to worry about."

Luna nodded as she stood up. "There's one other thing, Hermione. Malfoy isn't generally mean other than with his words. But his parents…don't get in their way."

Hermione nodded. She had heard that while Draco Malfoy had a temper and often belittled people, his parents were another story. His parents would step on them if they could. Luckily, the younger Malfoy took control of the servants, his parents believing it beneath them.

The cell door opened and Hermione marveled at how no one was there to escort them. There was a spell around the manor that kept them in so there was no reason to worry about them escaping. She walked out and smiled at the others while they congregated in the hallway. No one looked much different from Hogwarts; Neville still had a boyish smile and sandy brown hair. Seamus was still a shaggy ginger although he seemed taller than the last time she saw him. Cho had cut her hair into a bob and she smiled as she passed by her. Ginny took her hand as they walked down the hallway to receive their assignments.

"It's really not that bad here." Ginny whispered as they walked together. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but I was expecting much worse when I first arrived."

They stopped when they reached the foyer and stood in a line. Draco was already waiting for them, his foot tapping while looking at his pocket watch. He looked up at them and snapped his watch closed, placing it back in his pocket. Hermione hadn't had a chance to get a good look at him since she was brought in, but she could see that he had matured in the last year. His pale blond hair had grown in a bit, barely brushing his eyes. He was lean and he looked like everything around him bored him.

Draco appraised everyone as they stood in front of them. "Alright, as you are all aware, we have a new comer and so your assignments have changed." He said succinctly while nodding in Hermione's direction. "Longbottom and Finnegan, you both will continue to work as footmen, serving food and opening doors and such. Weasley, you're in the kitchens, helping the elves with the food. Chang, you're in charge of cleaning the downstairs, including the parlor and library, but not my father's study. Never my father's study." He said, emphasizing the last point. "Lovegood, you have the upstairs, all the bedrooms and all the laundry." Everyone nodded as they received their assignment, used to the routine. "And Granger, you will be my personal servant." He handed her a wand, a light brown wand that felt strange in her hand. "You will accompany me on errands, come when I call you, and in general, be at my beck and call. Your wand will vibrate when I need you."

Hermione scowled as she tested the weight of her new wand in her hand. It was nothing like _her_ wand, but the feeling of having a wand in her hand again filled her with joy.

"Did you hear me, Granger?" Draco asked, annoyed by her lack of acknowledgment.

She looked at him for a moment before nodding her head. "Yes."

"Yes, what?" He demanded of her.

She glared at him as she remembered what she was told about "manners" of a servant. "Yes, _sir._" She practically spat out.

"Good, glad to see you've been learning your manners." He smirked. "Also, there will be a change in your current sleeping arrangements. You will no longer be staying in the dungeons. You will all be assigned rooms in the new servant's wing. You will continue to have your current roommates but will all have a proper room."

Everyone's eyes widened with the announcement but no one dared say anything out of fear that it might be taken away. While they dungeons had somewhat comfortable beds and a lavatory, the idea of having a proper room was not one they entertained.

"We may have some other…uses for the dungeon and we can't have you lot down there." He continued as if he had not just completely the way they lived. "Now, let's move along. Granger, you're with me."

The group broke up, heading to wherever their current assignment took them. Hermione followed Draco through the house to his study. She closed the door behind her as he walked over to a decanter, giving himself a generous pour of firewhiskey. He sighed as he drank it in one gulp then poured himself another. He turned around and looked at her, studying her for what seemed like hours.

She bit her tongue from saying anything while she stood there, feeling like an animal in a zoo. Finally, he moved to sit behind his desk, placing his cup down after taking another sip. He sighed heavily as he looked at her. And then, he said the last thing she ever thought she'd hear from him.

"Thank Merlin I finally found you. We have a lot to work to do and very little time." He said sincerely.

Hermione stared at him for a good minute. "What the bloody hell are you talking about, Malfoy? Find me? I was captured! Work to do? I'm your personal servant, for Merlin's sake!"

He shook his head slowly. "Granger, don't you understand? The lot of you is all that's left of the DA. If we're ever going to take down the Dark Lord, we sure as hell couldn't do it without you."

Hermione sat there stunned. What had he just said?

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**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and lets see what happens now that we know why Draco was "collecting" everyone. Please review! Let me know what you think! ~Chrissy**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hermione blinked several times in rapid succession processing the information. But somehow, she just couldn't make sense of it. "Come…come again?" She managed to sputter.

Draco looked at her for another moment before answering. "Come now, I know I'm speaking English so what's there not to understand? You haven't lost your brain sometime in the past year, have you? Because if you have then I've wasted a lot of time and effort on you."

"What? Of course not! It's just that you're not speaking any sense!" She retaliated. "You're expecting me to believe that you, high and mighty Draco Malfoy, big winner of the War _found_ me as you say with the expectation that I will _help_ you with whatever plan you're alluding to?! That's….well, that's preposterous!"

Draco smiled at her outburst. "Ah, now there's the witch I've been looking for. I've been wondering when she'd come out. And no, of course I don't expect you to believe me. If you did, I'd be highly suspicious of who you actually were." He stood up and walked around to the front of his desk, leaning against it while he looked at her. "But, be it as it may, you are my prisoner, and you will do what I tell you to do. I do not have time to gain your trust, nor do I particularly need it. In fact, I will let you know right now that I am your best chance at bringing the Dark Lord down and if you want to fight me and make it more difficult, then you will be the one who carries around the guilt of hindering the only change you might've had at making things right again."

She considered his words carefully, aware that everything he said was true. He could be lying, but what would he have to gain from that? She was his prisoner, he could do as he wished, and he didn't need to lie to her to get what he wanted. And if she fought back and he did try…but failed because she didn't participate. How could she live with herself after that? What choice did she have but to go along with it in hopes that they succeed?

However, there was one question that was bigger than the rest. One question that no matter how she rationalized it, she couldn't find an answer to. "But why? Why would you change sides when you've already won…when you and your family have everything you wanted?"

Draco scowled at her before answering. "That is none of your concern. The reasons I do what I do are not something you get to be privy to."

"So, then, what's this plan of yours?" She finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Draco leaned forward, his face coming close to hers. "All you need to know at the moment is that when I say come, you come. When I say go, you go. And when I say bow, your nose better be touching the bloody floor." He sneered. "You will become part of the plan when I say so. Your friends will become part of the plan when I say so. And they are _not_ to know about the plan until I say so. Is that clear?"

Hermione could smell his minty breath he was so close to her. She tried to not be intimidated but she could feel her resolve melting.

"I said, is that clear?" He repeated more forcefully.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Yes, what?" He whispered back, his voice still carrying force .

Her eyes narrowed into slits as she answered back. "Yes, sir."

Draco smiled and leaned back against his desk. "Good, I'm glad we have that settled." He continued as if he hadn't just reminded her that she was his to do as he will. "Tonight, we will be going out. Until then, clean the study and the fireplace. I have work to do." He said with a wave of his hand, obviously dismissing her.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Hermione's wand vibrated indicating the Draco was ready to go. She had been sitting on her bed, waiting for the signal, not expecting it to come at 10pm. Luna was already sleeping in her bed and if Hermione knew it was going to be so late, she would've tried to take a nap. She sighed as she rose from her bed and made her way quietly out of the room.

She saw him waiting for her in the foyer, dressed all in black with a black cloak in his hands. "Here." He said as he shoved the cloak at her. "Put this on and cover up your shirt. Remember, in order for this to work, you need to listen to everything I say and act as if you're a loyal and fear induced servant. If you so much as sniff in my general direction wrong, you and your friends will regret it."

She nodded as she put the cloak on as he said. She saw he was looking at her expectantly and sighed. "Yes, sir."

He nodded. "Good. Let's go."

He took her by the arm and apparated them to the front of a large house. Obviously, a party was going on inside and had been for a while. "You will always walk two steps behind me unless I say otherwise. Look down and do not make eye contact with anyone, understand?" He didn't wait for an answer before he started to walk towards the house.

Hermione followed exactly 2 steps behind him until they had cross the threshold and into the mob of people. She found it hard to always be behind him but did her best to keep up without bumping into anyone. Finally he stopped and she nearly bumped into him by the sudden movement.

"Ah, Blaise, how are things?" Draco asked as he clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Draco! I see you have a new acquisition you're showing off. I can't believe you got Granger." Blaise said while nodding in Hermione's direction.

Hermione attempted to keep her head down as she was told but when she heard her name, she couldn't help but look up. She noticed he had been looking at her and she expected a reprimand from looking up at the ground when he winked at her and went back to his conversation. _What the hell was that?_ She took the opportunity to take a brief look around the room. The women were in ballgowns while the men sported dress robes, a typical pureblood function she imagined. And then she saw the servants. It seemed that more purebloods had a servant in tow and what Luna and Neville told her was right. Some of them were barely clothed and the tatters they were in were soiled and dirty. The fear they had was evident in the way they cowered, their eyes glued to the floor.

"Come along, Granger. Eyes down." Draco said as he turned and walked away with Blaise. She walked quickly to catch up, making sure to not catch the eyes of any of the others.

She followed him into a parlor where the door was closed and she saw a handful of people, all servants sitting near the fire. "Granger, go sit on the couch and wait for me to come back. If anyone comes in looking for me, make my mind vibrate and I'll make my way out there. Do not, under any circumstance, tell them I am in the room." She looked at him quizzically as he turned away and opened an invisible door. There were people already in the room and she heard the group call their names as Draco and Blaise walked through and closed the door behind them, once again making the room invisible.

She sat on the couch surrounded by the other servants and she quickly noticed they all stared at her. "Well, out with it then." She huffed, hating the feeling of being watched.

"Are you, are you really Hermione Granger?" One mousy girl asked. Her hair was brushed and her clothes were clean but they were obviously old and been worn for a very long time.

Hermione sighed. "Yes, I am."

The brunette guy across from her rolled his eyes. "Great, if they caught you, then there really is no hope left." He said while crossing his arms.

The girl leaned forward, as she whispered, "You know that's not true. If that was true, there wouldn't be secret meetings."

"You have no idea what they're talking about. For all you know, they're plotting our deaths!" They wizard shot back, throwing his hands in the air.

"Shut up, you git! I don't know about you, but I like getting out of my house. This is much more comfortable." She said exasperated, leaning back in her chair.

Hermione was about to answer when someone walked into the room. She recognized the wizard as Adrian Pucey, a Slytherin a couple of years older than her. He didn't even look in their direction as he walked to the invisible room.

"…anniversary is coming up. We need to act soon if…" Hermione heard from inside the room as Adrian opened the door and slipped into the room.

Hermione quickly digested the new information. The only anniversary she knew that was coming up was the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. If they were talking about that, that was next month. What were they planning? How could they possibly take Voldemort down? Hermione could feel her curiosity growing. If Draco wanted her help, he was going to have to tell what was going. No one kept Hermione Granger in the dark.

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**A/N: Ok, Hermione's on board but she's not going to just do what he says without getting information in return. But will she convince him to tell her? Or maybe he's not telling her because he knows she wouldn't go along with it. And will he stop being such a prat? Read on to find out! ~Chrissy**


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